>> jennifer: our little rhyme was on ham -- an homage to another video. >> vote for romney is a vote to let planned parenthood get cut. >> listen to your little sister. wake the [ bleep ] up! >> jennifer: some voters aren't getting the message. iowa, one of the 32 states with early voting opened its polling stations and lines went around the block! there are good signs for the president there. the des moines register reported that as of monday, registered democrats in iowa had requested 109,000 absentee ballots. republicans had requested 20,000. people registered to other parties or no party requested 36,000. that's good news for the democrats. there are more signs. swing states including iowa are

moving further into the democrat's column according to new data from top political analyst larry sabato. but that news is just not sitting well with republicans. they've started pushing the idea that those polls are at best, wrong. and at worst rigged! romney senior campaign adviser ed gillespie suggested he doesn't believe the polls on fox news yesterday. >> mitt romney is what, five, six, seven eight points behind barack obama right now. is that the same kind of polling you guys are finding with your internal? >> it is not consistent with our polling. >> jennifer: when abc's david muir asked mitt romney about polls that showed his 47% comment had actually hurt him mitt romney did what comes naturally. he lied about it. >> well, i'm very pleased with some polls. less so with other polls but frankly at this early stage polls go up and polls go down.

as you look at the national polls, you see i'm tied in the national polls. >> jennifer: in fact, it is just not true. the latest national gallup poll from today has the president up by 6 points. gallup that far left, skewed organization. but there does seem to be little room for reality in the current republican party. so the polls themselves have become the latest right wing scapegoat. so today fox news picked up the theme. >> are the swing states really swinging toward the president or could there possibly be some skewing going on by the media the left-based mainstream media? why would they do that? well, two reasons. one perhaps to keep mitt romney's donors from coughing up more cash. two to keep people from doing early voting. >> jennifer: polls all skewed. sadly, the fox news fake message

seems to be getting out through the republicans who are on the ground in these states. one ohio voter told "usa today" "obama is trying to get out the message. don't bother voting because it's over with. i got it." another republican voter on the ground said i think the polls are screwed and skewed. screwed and skewed. that's pretty rough language but leave it to rush limbaugh to take it one step further. >> polls now are just being used as another tool of voter suppression. the polls are an attempt to not reflect public opinion but to shape it. yours! depress the heck out of you. >> jennifer: suppress the vote? that's the republican's job. for more on the story i'm joined by mayor marc morial, president of the national urban league and a tremendous voice in the fight against voter suppression. mayor comes to us from new york. so great to have you inside "the war room" tonight.

>> hey, great to be with you governor. congratulations on the show and congratulations on the strength of your voice. >> jennifer: i appreciate you saying that. it is when all of us blending our voices together, maybe we can get something done. so are you encouraged by the high number of democratic voters that were actually -- that we're actually seeing coming out to vote today like in iowa? >> i'm encouraged that the effort to suppress the vote is backfiring across the nation. because i think high voter turnout early in iowa is certainly an indication that people are taking democracy seriously and that they want to participate in this election. we've been energizing people across the nation to oppose these efforts to suppress the vote but also to encourage people not to be deterred, frustrated intimidated or harassed by any of this and to get out and vote. >> jennifer: in fact, you wrote about bullies at the

ballot box. so tell us exactly what you meant by that. who is bullying? >> this quote that true to vote wants people to vote as though the police are in their rear-view mirror. >> jennifer: describe that for a second. people who have been watching the show know that. >> true the vote is an effort that is underway to "protect voter integrity" at least that's the stated purpose. but the real purpose we think is to harass and intimidate voters all across the nation. their statement has been we want people to vote as though the police are in their rear-view mirror. in other words it's really a threat to people exercising their democratic right. we've out there, the national urban league is in a nonpartisan way, in states across the nation, working at the grassroots level with phone

banks, with social media encouraging people to participate, registering people and informing them about changes in voting laws while allies of ours are fighting voter suppression laws in the courts in states across the nation. >> jennifer: right. we're going to talk about that in one second. true the vote of course for ow viewers is an entity that's been supported by a lot of the right wing organizations that we have fought on this show, including the koch brothers and others funded by some of the entities that want to limit access to the ballot by voters they think are not favorable to republicans. the national urban league policy institute has actually found that african-american voters in a number of key states hold the key to the outcome of the 2012 election. tell us about that. >> governor, we achieved, as a nation, something remarkable in 2008. we achieved turnout parity meaning whites and african-americans turned out at

the very same percentage level. a flippage in that turnout parity, if you will, a lower african-american turnout in states like ohio, virginia, and the state of north carolina could, in fact, affect the outcome of the election in a dramatic way because the margins were indeed so close. african-american voters are very important part of the voting block in place like northeastern ohio, in places like throughout the state of virginia and certainly in north carolina. so many people have a focus on those states and we released that report because sometimes we think there's a certain i think, narrow perception of who swing voters are. elections are not only who people will vote for but who will come out to vote. and that's why so much of our effort is about ensuring high voter turnout all across the board. >> jennifer: that is an interesting and important way of

redefining what a swing voter is or what the type of voter is who could swing the election is. the urban league actually initiated an occupy the vote campaign earlier this year. and is that what you hope to accomplish with that? to get people to -- easier for them to get to the polls? >> governor, we announced today in effect a 40-day blitz from now until the election to try to register as many people to try to mobilize as many people, to try to ensure that as many people as possible get to the polls. we're using social media phone banks, volunteers, any and everywhere, people can go to occupy the vote 2012.org and connect to our election center. it is there that they'll be able to find out information about voting laws in all 50 states. it is there where they can join our freedom fighter campaign, sign up and be a part of this effort so that they cannot only make sure they're qualified and

prepared to vote and vote but also they can help their friends and family do it. we have got to protect democracy. a great nation like ours that's always had voting and a hallmark of its system cannot allow the hands of time to be turned back when it comes to access to the ballot box. so this election is important but this election is important because we've got to send a message to all of those vote suppressors that we're not going to stand it. we're not going to take it and we're going to resist it at every turn. >> jennifer: well, you have said it all right there! that's marc morial, president of the national urban league on the importance of getting out to vote and making yourself heard. thank you so much for joining us inside "the war room." >> thanks, governor. >> jennifer: you bet. mitt romney's latest whopper has got me really fired up and i'll tell you why next! and then something you'll only find here in "the war room," we'll tell you what really goes on during the top secret

presidential debate preps. and violence erupts in greece and spain over the latest round of austerity measures cocht that happen here? it is thursday night. we're just getting started. you're in "the war room" on current tv. membership. welcome in. american express. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...allstate safe driving bonus check? what is that? so weird, right? my agent, tom, said... [ voice of dennis ] ...only allstate

sends you a bonus check for every six months you're accident-free... ...but i'm a woman. maybe it's a misprint. does it look like a misprint? ok. what i was trying... [ voice of dennis ] silence. ♪ ♪ ask an allstate agent about the safe driving bonus check. are you in good hands?

jennifer speaks truth to power. >>the bottom line is we need an amendment. >>now it's your turn. connect with "the war room" jennifer granholm. >>it's a call to arms. make your voice heard. >> jennifer: and now to our latest installment of mitt's secrets and lies. okay. mitt romney really has some brass as bill clinton would say. he tells george stephanopoulos he thinks the president is going to lie in the debates.

>> i think the challenge that i'll have in the debate is that the president tends to -- how shall i say it, say things that aren't true. >> jennifer: all right. it isn't just the pot calling the kettle black it is also the pot's friends. mitt romney's surrogates have been repeating the same idea over the past 24 hours like karl rove who wrote in the "wall street journal," mr. obama has taken ordinary political differences between anything we've seen. every day it seems he attempts to disqualify his opponent through deliberate and undeniable falsehoods. and then when he was asked by jim acosta when romney was at cnn whether he had played fast and loose with the facts from time to time romney says this. >> we've been absolutely spot on and any time there's anything that's been amiss we correct it or remove it. >> jennifer: absolutely spot on. the audacity of this -- he's

lying about lying. so let's just see what a couple of independent fact checkers say about romney's campaign being "spot on." now, politifact is one of those independent fact checkers. it is from the "tampa bay times," they objectively evaluate lies in campaigns and they found that of mitt romney's statements of his statements, 42% were rated somewhat false and 9% of them were pants on fire lies! for the president 27% of the ads were somewhat false and 1% pants on fire lies. you don't want anybody lying about anything but who is the bigger liar here? here are some of the top romney whoppers. the ones that have earned him the legendary four pinocchios rating from "the washington post"'s fact checker greg kessler. so there was the four pinocchios lie about welfare.

that false claim that obama wanted to take the work requirement out of welfare. that's false. four pinocchios false. four pinocchios is the highest amount of lying you can do. a romney ad that took the president's quote on the economy completely out of context, that was also awarded four pinocchios. then there's the campaign's recent use of a 14-year-old clip out of context from obama using the word redistribution. that too four pinocchios. but we're not done yet. romney claimed obama raised healthcare costs by $2400 per person. that also, four pinocchios. rerepeatedly claims obama went on an apology tour after taking office. he did not. four pinocchios. romney claimed that 100,000 auto industry jobs have been lost under obama. don't even get me started on that one. i'll just say what the post said. four pinocchios, false. by the way, there's a lot more. the man cannot help himself.

now, i would call him a serial liar but that would probably give serial liars a bad name. let's look beyond the hypocrisy and think about team romney's calling the president a liar in advance of the debates. what is that strategy all about? mostly it is about working the refs the media so the media is primed to listen for any falsehoods from the president during the debate. now, as you know, debates are all about managing expectations. remember that george w. bush did "better than expected" in his debates because he managed to form complete sentences so if romney can make the media expect obama lies, they'll be primed to watch for those lies at all times which is going to make the media more likely to declare romney the winner of that first debate. which is frankly why i think that romney might win that first debate in the media. obviously i want the president to win but it's not going to happen because the media does

not want a lopsided election. they don't want it to be over by next wednesday. so if somehow the media does declare that obama is the winner that first debate, i will set aside my tigers mug for a white sox one for one show only. that's it. that's my bet and i'm not even going to mean it. but romney's obama is a liar strategy, it only works if the media doesn't notice that romney is lying during the debates himself. maybe one thing that the media likes less than a lopsided race is a hypocrite so it is risky for romney to raise the strategy. since his whole candidacy has been built upon the lies, it is one thing he does pretty well, the strategy of focusing on lies could get him hoisted. maybe i'll go order a stupid white sox mug just in case but i'm not going to like it. up next, it's been four years

since president obama has been in a televised debate. he's about to start cramming for his first match-up with governor romney. is he going to get back into fighting shape? and violent protests are spreading across europe as governments implement new austerity measures. we'll tell you what happens why -- why what happens over there matters to us over here. this is "the war room" only on current tv. we'll be right back. presidential debate. with unrivaled analysis and commentary. >> you're going to hear that used as a major talking point. (vo) the only network with real-time reaction straight from the campaigns and from viewers like you. >>now that's politically direct.

the chill of peppermint. the rich dark chocolate. york peppermint pattie get the sensation. >>i jump out of my skin at people when i'm upset.

do you share the sense of outrage that they're doing this, this corruption based on corruption based on corruption. >>i think that's an understatement, eliot. u>> i'm not prone tot. understatement, so explain to me why that is. i think the mob learned from wall st., not vice versa. [ applause ] >> can i call you joe? >> thank you. >> thank you gwen, thank you. >> jennifer: that was the start of the 2008 vice presidential debate between then governor sarah palin of alaska and then delaware senator joe biden. prior to the debate, the conventional wisdom was that sarah palin was going to bomb but actually she held her own both biden and palin spent hours and hours sparring with

stand-ins to prepare for the big moment. now you probably know who played sarah palin for joe biden. that was me. but i bet you didn't know that the republican foreign policy adviser randy shunman played joe biden for sarah palin. joining us tonight to discuss stand-ins and debate prep ahead of wednesday's match-up between president obama and governor mitt romney is my friend and colleague jill alper. in 2006, jill was named as the top democratic political strategist in the country! she's a media consultant. she helps to train candidates for debates. she was my debate coach and she's coming to us from oak park michigan. welcome back inside "the war room." >> thank you. hello, governor. you were a great palin by the way. >> jennifer: you are too funny. it was fun. did i become a paleontologist but thanks to your help, too. do you think that we're always talking about how the stand

stand-ins are selected. did the obama campaign choose senator ker troy stand in for mitt romney because he's also sort of a tall, white rich guy from massachusetts? >> we both know john kerry well and yes, all of those things are true but john kerry is also really smart and a great debater. we saw that firsthand in 2004. and he knows mitt romney. he's seen him up close. he followed him in his career in public life there in massachusetts. he knows the record. and i think most importantly he has a very good bedside manner with barack obama. they're very comfortable with one another and that's a big part of the process is running your paces with someone that you trust and you who understands you. >> jennifer: for sure. the romney campaign has chosen somebody who must have a really good bedside manner as well because he's been selected several times to be a stand-in. ohio senator rob portman is playing president obama for mitt romney. he was also a stand-in for john edwards, senator john edwards,

vice president al gore, senator joe lieberman. why is he the go-to stand-in guy? >> he's a pretty smart character and cookie, too. i think having been a congressman, he's obviously united states senator now. he knows policy. he was a trade rep. he was a white house -- in congress. this guy knows his stuff. but i think interestingly apparently, he's somewhat of a method actor. he listened to tapes, for instance, of the books on tape of barack obama and he's really able to take on the effect and the cadence of the person he's playing. and he too has great bedside manner. he's somewhat of a prankster. he develops very warm relationships not only with republicans but democrats have nice things to say about him. >> jennifer: interesting because he was so close to being selected for vice president. i don't know that being a debate stand-in is a good second nod.

but president obama is going to be heading to henderson nevada for three days of debate prep behind closed doors. when you and i helped to prepare joe biden i'm curious from your perspective, jill, what was the most surprising thing to you about that whole debate prep? >> that's so interesting. well, i think that debate prep we were at, there was actually high spirit. it was intense but it was appropriately intense. and i think it ran like clockwork. there was great teamwork and really well thought through. not just giving somebody lines. that's not what happened there. there was really a cogent strategy. people were concerned because for a long time, he had been the united states senator and hadn't had the debate. but he really -- he really came in a good place and folks met him where he was could get his zingers and his messaging and

prebuttals and rebuttals all in place in a very collegial way that was serious, on a set that looked just like what he was going to walk on to that night. but where he was prepped, he was taken through his paces. there was a -- by the staff. they worked with him. it was really -- i think it was really quite fun actually even though it was serious. >> jennifer: it was quite fun. i must say. i was surprised one of the things that surprised me most about it was how many people were there. you walked in. we walked into this -- this hall in the hotel and it was full of researchers, of campaign specialists, of media people. it was just an amazing production essentially and the fact that it was built out exactly to the color and to the inch of what the debate stage would be, to me, that was so surprising. >> absolutely. >> jennifer: did you jill, i

know you've done a lot of debate prep. in this debate prep we were involved in with joe biden there was the afternoon where went over questions and then in the evening, we had the actual mock debates. is that how it's usually set up? >> well, i think that's more or less the standard. you like to let your candidate sort of feel the words and the environment before you really put them to the test. part is about building confidence and helping someone work their way into their stride. so i think typically yes you're running through those questions and then you're kind of up on your feet. and then you go from there. you rework the questions. you see how you're presenting piece by piece. it all comes together. >> jennifer: how important is this debate prep for president obama because romney has been debating a lot this year. just real quickly. >> i think it's very important. this is the highest influxion moment of any campaign,

particularly a presidential campaign. and so he's pretty good on his feet but again every answer is a minute and a half. you have to be hone and sharp and get your few points across that will then be covered by the media and form the broader public's opinion of what happened. >> jennifer: exactly. so interesting. i'll be watching. great popcorn moment. that's democratic strategist jill alper. thanks for joining us, jill. up next, all of the recent budget cuts have the ranks of union workers and public employees cut as well. we're going to tell you why they may be down but they're certainly not out. and is there anything worse than a whiny billionaire? well maybe a whiny republican billionaire. we'll tell you what has sheldon adelson so cranky. you're watching "the war room" only on current tv. how are you ever going to solve the problem if you don't look at all of the pieces? >>tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block.

>>you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. >>sharp tongue, quick whit and >>you just think there is no low they won't go to. oh, no. if al gore's watching today...

[ dennis' voice ] i bet he's got an allstate agent. they can save you up to 30% more by bundling your policies. well his dog's stupid. [ dennis' voice ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. are you in good hands?

political turmoil is causing spanish stock to nosedive. >> jennifer: this is what happened what happens when slashing government spending through severe austerity measures takes precedence over almost anything else. in a country with a 25% unemployment rate. and republicans in this country think austerity is going to grow the economy here. even though many economists disagree. don't take my word for it though. listen to what former president bill clinton has to say. >> the prescription of austerity

has continued to be pushed in the face of all of the evidence that it won't work. i know there are a lot of problems in various places. but i also know you can't get blood out of a turnip. >> jennifer: every time i hear minute's voice i cannot help but smile. you know who else doesn't believe that austerity measures are the panacea of folks like mitt romney and paul ryan want us to believe they are. lee saunders. lee is president of the american federation of state county and municipal employees afscme. he's coming to us tonight from washington, d.c. lee, thank you for joining us inside "the war room." >> good evening. how are you, governor? >> jennifer: i'm great. hope you are as well. >> i'm doing fine. >> jennifer: all right. so we're watching these images from spain and from greece and people marching in the streets. do you think that that's an extreme version of what could happen here?

>> well, if the republicans have their way if mitt romney has his way or paul ryan has his way, that's exactly what's going to happen here. trickle down economics doesn't work in this country. it's not working in spain. it's not working in greece or europe. you've got to create jobs in order to grow yourself out of the problems that we've got here and create jobs programs and rebuild the economy and the way to rebuild the economy is not to give more money to the top 1% in this country and give them more power and wealth at the expense of the 99%. i hope that americans are looking at what's going on in spain right now and saying that this does not work and it can't work in this country. trickle down does not work here. >> jennifer: data is important in terms of what works and doesn't work to move an economy forward. i would think everybody would agree you have to balance your budget at some point but the question is how and when that happens and whether there is a way to do it that allows you to invest in your human capital

also. austerity measures here in the u.s. have meant a lot of fewer public employees which serve our citizens and of course, your union represents so many of those. has the dwindling membership, the cutting of government services, has that -- you feel diminished the influence of afscme? >> well, over the past couple of years, in state and local government, we've lost about 700,000 jobs. that definitely impacts the quality of services in our communities across the country. and we felt it. i mean, it's hurting us. one thing we're also doing and it is the number one priority for our union is continuing to organize. as a matter of fact, we just organized over 2300emts in massachusetts and california so we're continuing to organize the workers yet we have suffered losses in the states where some of these right wing governors have come after us and have reduced employment levels or taken collective bargaining away from us. we're continuing to mobilize our

members. we're continuing to educate and organize. talking about the problems associated with the tactics of these ultra conservatives. i think people are fired up. they're charged up. they're ready to engage in this battle about what kind of country we want to live in. >> jennifer: in fact, we were saying this earlier in a conversation with marc morial of the urban league that the number of voters that were seeing -- that were seen turning out in iowa, lines around the block might be a backlash to what the republicans have proposed with respect to voter suppression. what you're saying is the recent assaults on public unions in states like ohio and wisconsin might also create a backlash against republicans. >> our folks are charged up. they understand the differences between president obama and vice president biden and what's being proposed by mitt romney and paul ryan. and they're engaged. they're talking with their neighbors and their friends and

their coworkers and we're knocking on doors passing out leaflets all over the country. you know we understand the importance of this election. i keep on saying this is the most important election in our lifetime. it really is because the difference between the two parties are so stark. our people understand those differences and that's why we're making the phone calls every single day. >> jennifer: that's what the gotv is all about. you're organizing to get people out to the ballot box. i appreciate you joining us inside "the war room" this evening. that's lee saunders, president of the american federation of state, county and municipal employees. up next, sheldon adelson is the big money republican donor democrats love to hate. tonight, he's actually giving them a little bit of fresh bait. you're in "the war room." don't go away. much more ahead. presidential debate. with unrivaled analysis and commentary. >> you're going to hear that used as a major talking point.

(vo) the only network with real-time reaction straight from the campaigns and from viewers like you. >>now that's politically direct.

health matters to all of us. that's why lysol has started a mission for health. with new mom programs, lysol healthy habits initiatives in schools and disaster relief efforts. when you use lysol at home, you'll know you're a part of something bigger. for healthy tips and more, visit lysol.com/missionforhealth.

so, you guys grew up together. yes, since third grade... what are you lookin' at? not looking at i anything... we're not good enough for you. must be supermodels? what do you model gloves? brad, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little angry when you're hungry. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. [ male announcer ] this is karen and jeremiah. they don't know it yet but they're gonna fall in love get married, have a couple of kids, [ children laughing ] move to the country, and live a long, happy life

together where they almost never fight about money. [ dog barks ] because right after they get married they'll find some retirement people who are paid on salary not commission. they'll get straightforward guidance and be able to focus on other things, like each other, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. >> jennifer: that was mitt romney back in his now infamous florida fund-raiser in may hoping to add to his haul. he's now actually spending as much as he's taken in and a lot of his campaign cash comes from one guy. casino magonate sheldon adelson. you will remember sheldon adelson joined romney on his controversy-filled trip to israel this past summer. adelson has clear interest in

israel. i owns an israeli newspaper. he's been a vocal advocate for a tougher american stance against iran on israel's behalf but now it looks like his motives for supporting romney could even be a little more selfish. many of you may know he's under a federal investigation into money laundering at his casino in las vegas and possible violation of bribery laws in china. some observers thought that perhaps he was hoping to shield himself from that investigation by supporting the right candidate. adelson seemed to admit as much to politico saying... >> jennifer: sounds like he doesn't want to get into trouble for illegal behavior so he's trying to switch referees.

maybe he should have invested in the nfl instead. joining me now from new york to talk about campaign news of the day is katrina vanden heuvel, the editor and publisher of the "nation" magazine. so glad to have you here. >> it's terrific to be on "the war room." >> jennifer: it is great to you have here. we've been featuring a lot of the nation's articles so i'm glad to have the big ca kahuna present with us. since you're following all of this stuff so closely let me start with sheldon adelson. do you think that romney's relationship with him and other corporate donors completely -- is completely transactional? that they're expecting something in return? >> absolutely. on some level, you could see in that politico interview you cited, it is almost like adelson is paying protection money. but you know, mitt romney is not the favorite of the conservative right wing movement. but he is the vehicle for the

money that the koch brothers, shelley adelsons, the big super pac people are putting in. why are they putting it in, jennifer? it is for them. not for millions of americans the 99%. for these people, it is chump change. they'll get deregulation and benefits for the companies they own and make billions more so of course it is purely transactional and it's part of our political system that needs to change. if ordinary people's voices are going to be heard and the system isn't rigged against them. >> jennifer: well, obviously this election is all about ordinary people and their voices being heard or not heard or maybe the voice of mitt romney being heard behind closed doors. there was another secret video or at least a video that was unearthed today of mitt romney back from 1985. let's take a look at that. >> bain capital is an investment partnership which was formed to invest in start-up companies and

on-going companies then to take an active hand in managing them and hopefully five to eight years later to harvest them at a significant profit. >> jennifer: so he's using this language, katrina. >> harvesting. just as the first video reinforced the image and the truth that mitt romney is out of touch with ordinary people in this country ordinary voters and people are feeling that in their gut and you're seeing that in the polls. this shows that mr. romney and bain, it wasn't about job creation. it was about putting profits before people! it was about gutting companies in order to make the best return for investors. so when mitt romney says i want to be ceo of america does that mean he's going to harvest america? not something i think millions of americans want to see happen to a country which needs investment not looting. >> jennifer: exactly right. well, i promised our viewers

that i would bring you on so we could talk about some stuff on the campaign trail. i want to switch gears for a second and talk about some of the senate races. one in particular because it is bubbling up today which is this. the todd akin, of course rubbing for senate in missouri said that senator claire mccaskill was aggressive and less lady-like in their debate than during the 2006 debates. i'm just -- when i heard that -- may hair stood on end. >> this guy of serial corruptions and you know, put his foot in his mouth with legitimate rape has the temerity the audacity to say that about a good senatorial candidate like claire mccaskill? my view, jennifer, if i might all of the enablers like newt gingrich, they're asking women of the g.o.p. to put forth this testimonial for todd akin. my view is that everyone in the

republican party should tell us where they stand on todd akin's candidacy. because this is a party that's got an free ride. todd akin may have said what he said in august but the republican platform is basically todd akin's which is that there are no exemptions in the case of rape or incest for women who need abortions. so i think we need to take a measure of the extremism of a todd akin and tether it to a republican party that you know, is now going to come forward and support this guy? >> jennifer: that's a really great point. we could call about -- the nation could, "the war room" could, call upon the mainstream media. they don't necessarily come on "the war room" all the time but they go before mainstream media. ask them. today, you've got akin's race getting a lot of money from the outside republicans again including jim demint's super pac and tea party groups. the question really is how mainstream is that going to go?

do you mainstream republicans do you, mitt romney, do you paul ryan, support todd akin and everything he stands for? that's a great point. let's daal them out on it. >> let's call them out because this is about not just -- again one candidate. it's about a party. and a party that i believe jennifer, wants to dismantle all of the civilized and advances of our time. i'm serious, from women's rights to gay rights to economic social to social security to medicare. in this one case, let us call out republicans, where do you stand, scott brown, for example? where do you stand? >> jennifer: i'm curious to know what you think about this. i think that this race is less about mitt romney -- yes, mitt romney is a terrible candidate. he's got all of his own problems including this sort of privilege bubble he's lived in this and apparently not gotten outside of.

put that aside i think the problem is the republican party. and their continual push to the right. off of the edge of the flat earth. i'm wondering if you think that's why the polls are now starting to solidify because they feel like that party is not going to be responding to the needs of every day people. >> i do. it begins with mitt romney. the fish rots from the top. but i do think that people in their gut are feeling that this is a party that is so extreme and that is so incompetent in so many ways and unwilling to protect people at a time when people seek economic security. they want a party that's not going to dismantle the kind of programs that they or their families or their grandparents have relied on. here is a concern i have, jennifer. i think in the next week or so, people like shelley adelson karl rove will understand, perhaps, the debate may be a

game changer, i doubt it on october 3rd. that the presidential is gone. the presidential race. and the money the tsunami of money is going to go down into the house races some of the senate races. that's where, i think, we could see real damage done to progressive candidates and so i think we need to pay attention to that money. expose it. at the same time as we said earlier, make sure to call out the republicans for who they are. don't let them play games as if they're moderate when in fact this party is as extremist as it's been for decades. >> jennifer: katrina one more question. i want to take a look at some polls from swing states. we do want to talk about what's going on in the campaign today. in ohio, 58% of likely voters think that romney favors the rich and just 9% think he faves the middle class. 1% thinks he favors the poor. what do you think that all means? >> i think -- first of all i think the number is pretty staggering.

my historical memory and understanding is that no republican has won the presidential election without winning ohio but i think again there is a sense that this candidate has little empathy to no empathy for the working poor, the working families of this country and we're seeing it reflected in not only the ohio poll you cited but in many of the swing state polls. >> jennifer: absolutely. katrina, you're so sharp. katrina vanden heuvel, editor of the "nation" magazine. later, brett ehrlich has found the absolute least flattering photo on facebook. >> coming up, you thought facebook photoless made you look bad? wait until you see what virginia did to the president. don't go away. >>i think that's an understatement, eliot. u>> i'm not prone tot. understatement, so explain to me

why that is. i think the mob learned from wall st., not vice versa. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...allstate safe driving bonus check? what is that? so weird, right? my agent, tom, said... [ voice of dennis ] ...only allstate sends you a bonus check for every six months you're accident-free... ...but i'm a woman.

maybe it's a misprint. does it look like a misprint? ok. what i was trying... [ voice of dennis ] silence. ♪ ♪ ask an allstate agent about the safe driving bonus check. are you in good hands?

enttv